Tennis match results, Feb. 15

TENNIS

Updated 11:24 pm, Friday, February 15, 2013

On one of the most important points of the match, John Isner walked up to the baseline, bounced the ball between his legs and wasted no time smacking an adrenaline-fueled 138 mph ace.

So long, break point. So long, set point. So long, any questions about whether his serve is back.

Isner advanced to the SAP Open semifinals at HP Pavilion on Friday, overpowering Xavier Malisse 7-6 (8), 6-2 behind his booming serve. The bone bruise in his right knee that forced him to drop out of the Australian Open is no longer an issue, and apparently neither is his confidence.

"It's not something I'm going to just try to kick a serve in," he said. "I'm going to go for it."

Isner had 10 aces and no double-faults, and made 67 percent of his first serves.

"If I serve well," Isner said, "I can be in the match against anybody in the world."

The highest-ranked American saved two break points on his serve in a lengthy first-set tiebreaker, relied on his big-finish forehand for two breaks in the second set and never let his strongest stroke slip.

Williams on top:Serena Williams, 31, rallied from down 4-1 in the third set to beat former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open in Doha, ensuring she will become the oldest woman to be ranked No. 1.